Adjustable wrench



Feb. 6, 1945. PARNET 2,369,072

ADJUSTABLE WRENCH .Filed April 16, 1942 nwvEmTofi.

A Iv.

Patented Feb. 6, 1945 ADJUSTABLE WRENCH Louis Parnet, Courbevoie', France; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application April 16, 1942, Serial No. 439,203 In France January 30,1941

6 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in adjustable wrenches, the primary object of the in:- vention being to provide an adjustable wrench of great rigidity, ease of manipulation and of sim-.

ple, light and economical construction. It is particularly intended to improvethe usual adjustable wrenches in which, on account of the cumulative ,efiects of the various amounts of play which are increased by wear, the wrench opens slightly when a heavy stress is exerted thereon.

The adjustable wrench according to the invention comprises a shank provided with .a stationary jaw anda rack disposed at right angles to the clamping face of the jaw, and with a movable jaw guided on the shank in a direction parallel to the rack, the movablevjaw having a clamping face adapted to cooperate with the clamping face of the stationary jaw. The movable jaw has two parallel inclines facing the same end of the movable jaw. A sliding shoe disposed within the movable jaw is provided with teeth arranged to engage the rack, the shoe having two inclines parallel to each other, and .facing the same end of the shoe, and arranged to cooperate with the corresponding inclines of the movable jaw. A spring connected atone, end" with said shoe and at the other end with the movable jaw is .arranged to maintain the incline of the shoe in contact with the inclines of the movable jaw and urge the teeth of the shoe into engagement .with the teeth of the rack.

Other feature of the invention will appear from the following description of the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is set forth:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the wrench;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, partly broken away to show details of the movable jaw and its shoe.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3101 Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side view partly broken away of the movable jaw and its shoe alone.

Fig. 5 is aside view of the rack;

Fig. 6 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the profile of the teeth and the slope of the inclines, and

:Fig. 8 is a side view on an enlarged scale of a modification of the movable jaw.

Referring to the drawing, I designates the shank of the wrench ending in a fixed jaw 2 projecting above a slideway 3 opening at the top in a narrow slot, and in one of whose sides is formed an aperture 4. In the bottom of the slideway is forcibly fitted a rack 5 made of hard steel having the rack teeth 6 and being provided at one end with a depending heel piece 1, to engage in a notch formed in the shank of the wrench, whereby movement of the rack in the opening direction of the movable jaw 8 is positively preeluded.

The movable jaw 8 has a slide block 9 slidably positioned in the slideway 3, the narrow portion [0 moving in the narrow slot above mentioned.

The slide block has a recess II to receive the sliding shoe I2, which has on its .lower face, teeth I3 complementary to the teeth 6 of the rack 5. Theshoe I2 is provided with an upstanding nose l4 whose inner face has the incline l5, cooperating with an incline of the same slope formed on the outerface of the slide block 9. Anincline l5 formed on the inner end of the shoe [2, and which is parallel to the incline i5, is arranged to cooperate with an incline on the bottom of the movable jaw 8. The shoe l2 isalso provided intermediate its ends with a lug l6, working in the recess H of the slide block 9. A spring 11 stretched between a fixed lug I8 adjacent to the inner end of the slide block and the lug l6, maintains the inclines in contact with each other.

Through the lug 16 passes a bolt [9 having a milled head and nut thereon, the bolt engaging in two inclined slots 20, formed in the opposite side walls of the recess H, the edges of the slots 20 being parallel to the incline l5.

As shown in Fig. 7, the angle a. of the faces of the teeth 6 and I3, which are in contact in the,

direction XX when the movable jaw 8 tends to move in the opening direction, is smaller than the angle 01 of the incline l5 and I5 the direction of which is indicated at YY. In practice, the angle a is advantageously equal to 30 and the angle 01 to 35, that is to say a difference 0 of about 5.

The angle b of those faces of the teeth 6 and I3 which are in contact when the movable jaw 8 tends to move in the closing direction is smaller than the angles a and d, for instance, 15.

In normal position, the shoe I2 is urged in ,a

downward and inward direction by the spring l1,

because of the angled of the inclines J5 and it, which are in contact, so that shoe teeth 13 are engaged with the rack teeth 6, and any displacement of the movable jaw :in the opening direction is thereby rendered impossible because the shoe teeth l3 cannot pass over the rack teeth 6. because of the difference 0 in angularity between the inclines l5 and l5 and the angularity of the '55 faces of the teeth in contact. In order that a shoe tooth I3 may pass over a rack tooth 6, it is necessary that the point A of the shoe tooth should come to A (Fig. 7), that is to say that the side of tooth I3 should recede from Y-Y to Y'--Y' for a distance e. Now, this backward movement of the shoe I2 is impossible since, by hypothesis, the jaw 8 tends to open and press on the shoe I2 towards the left'in the drawing. The wedging of the shoe I2 by the inclines on the slide \blockll imparts rigidity to the movable jaw, comparable to that of a fixed wrench.

Toopen the wrench from a partly closed condition, the shoe I2 must be lifted by means of .the milled heads of the bolt I9, so as to cause the inclines I and I5 to slide on each other "until the slidably engaging a similarly angulated surface formed on the.outer end of said portion of the movable jaw, second and similarly inclined surfaces on said shoe and movable jaw spaced inwardly from the first mentioned angulated surfaces, teeth formed on an edge of said shoe engaging a rack formed in opposition in said slideway, and spring means stretched between the inher end of said portion of the movablejaw and said shoe and releasablyturging said shoe in a downward and inward direction whereby the shoe teeth engage with the rack teeth to lock the shoe teeth I3 disengage from the rack. teeth"5. j

A flange 23 formed on the rack 5 at the end opposite the heel piece 1 serves as an abutment for the shoe I2 to limit the displacement of the movable jaw 8 in the opening direction.

Toclose the wrench the bolt I9 can be op erated as described, or the movable jaw 8 can be operated as described,or the movable jaw 8 can be pushed or struck in the closing direction. In the latter operation, the edge 2| of the slot acts as a cam to lift the bolt I9 so that the user, holding the wrench in his hand, can, with a finger of the same hand, push the movable jaw 8 to open position determined by the dimension of the nut to be tightened.

g If, on the contrary, it is desired to operate the wrench in both directions only by manipulating the milled heads of bolt I9, one of the side of slot 20 canbe cut down to replace cam 2| by a vertical face 22. In this case a pressure exerted movable jaw against movement in a direction away from the fixed jaw.

2.- An adjustable wrench comprising a shank comprising a fixed jaw and a slideway projecting laterally with respect to the working face of the fixed jaw, said slideway including a longitudinal'channel and a longitudinal relatively narrow slot opening into the channel through the top of the slideway, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the slideway with its working face opposed to the working face of the fixed jaw, said movable jaw comprising a slide slidably confined in said channel and bearing against the underside of 'the upper wall of the channel with the underside of the movable jaw slidably bearing on the upper side of the slideway, a relatively nar row portion working in said slot and rigidly connecting the slide and said movable jaw whereby rocking of the movable jaw on said slideway is substantiallyprecluded, said slide being formed on the movable jaw 8 in the closing direction has no lifting effect on shoe I2 and, as the slope b is small, teeth I3 can pass over teeth 6 towards the right only provided the shoe I2 is positively lifted by means of bolt I9.

- It will be noted that, when the teeth G'and I3 occupy a certain relative position, in the displacement of the movable jaw 8 for closing the spanner, said jaw recedes slightly, to a distance equal to' e (Fig. '7) owing to the fact that the point of j tooth- I3 passes from A toA. This backward movement must be small amplitude and this limits the choice of the height of the teeth and of the angle c'to a small value. The main advantageoffered by the-wrench according to the invention is avoidance of all play, even after a long periodbecause the inclines I5 and I5 being set towardsthe same side of the member carrying them, wear on one incline is compensated by the wear on the other incline, and said inclines are thereby maintained constantly in contact. ;Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described by way of example.

Having now described my invention what I' claim as-new and desire to-secure by Letters Patent isz" *1. An adjustable wrench comprising a shank including a fixed jaw, said shank being formed with a slideway extending substantially at right angles to the working face of the fixed jaw, a

with a longitudinal recess opening through its.

outer end and an adjacent portion of the bottom of the slide and defining sidewalls and a relatively short bottom wall located near the inner end of the slide, the outer ends of the sidewalls and of said bottom wall being similarly sloped in an outward and upward direction to define longitudi nally spaced inclines onsaid slide, a shoe positionedlongitudinally in the recess in the slide and in the opening in the bottom of the slide, the inner end of said shoe having an incline similar to and slidably engaged with the incline on the bottom wall of the slide, and the outer end of the shoe having a head located outwardly of the outer end of the slide and formed with inclines similar in angulation to and slidably engaged with the inclines on the outer end of the on the bottom. of said recess, and spring means urging said shoe in an inward direction whereby the shoe is angularly depressed on the inclines as to lockably engage its teeth with the rack.

3. An adjustable wrench according to claim 2 wherein said shoe has lugs projecting from opposite sides thereof through slots formed in' the sidewalls of the slide and through access openings provided in the sides ofthe slideway, the last mentioned slots being upwardly and outwardly inclined so as to provide cam surfaces for acting on the lugs when raised to move the movable jaw away from' the fixed jaw and retract the shoe teeth, out of locking engagement with the rack teeth topermit opening the wrench to wider aperture between the jaws.

4. An adjustable wrench comprising a fixed jaw, a. stationary slidewayextending laterally from the working face of the fixed jaw,,a movable jaw non-rockably mounted on said slideway for sliding movement toward and away: from the fixed jaw, said movable jawhav ing an integral slide working; in r a longitudinal recess formed in said slideway, the outer end portion of said slide 'being -inverted U ilarly sloped in an outward and upward direction l to define outer and inner inclines, a vertically and longitudinally movable shoe mounted in said bottom opening and having a lug rising into the space between the sidewalls of the slide, means connecting the lug to the'slidefor limited vertical the inner end of the bottom opening being simand longitudinal movement relative thereto, the

inner end of said shoe having an incline angulated similarly to and slidably engaged with the incline on the inner end of the bottom opening of the slide, said shoe further having an upwardly extending head on its outer end, said head being formed on its inner side with at least one incline angulated similarly to and slidably engaged with the inclines on the outer ends of the sidewalls of the slide, teeth formed on the bottom of the shoe, a rack formed on the slideway beneath the shoe, spring means keeping the innes c s an y enga ed andnormally urging the shoe in an inwardand downward direction to inter-engage the shoe teeth and rack teeth so as to lock the movable jaw in a selected position,

said slideway and at least one sidewall of the slide being open to provide access to enable reaching said lug and elevating said shoe to release the movable jaw for movement in'a direction away from the fixed jaw.

5. An adjustable wrench comprising a support including a stationary jaw and a slideway extending laterally from the working face of the stationary law, the top wall of said slideway being formed with a relatively narrow slot, a movable jaw having a slide slidably confined tion sliding in said slot, the wider portions of the slide above and below said narrow portion of the slide bearing against the upper'and under sides of said top wall whereby tilting of said movable jaw relative to the stationary jaw. is preeluded; said slide of the ,movable jaw being formed with a longitudinal recess opening through the outer end thereof and through a portion of the bottom of the slide; the outer ends' of the sidewalls of the slide being sloped to provide inclines in an upward and outward direction with a similarly angulated shorter incline formed adjacent the inner end of the slide and adjacent its bottom; a shoe positioned between the sidewalls of the slide and having at its outer end a head having surfaces inclined like and slidably bearing against the inclines on the outer end of the slide, said shoe having at its inner end a shorter incline similarly angulated to and slidably engaged with the shorter incline on the slide,-rack teethon the bottom of the shoe and rack teeth formed on the bottom of the slideway for engagement bythe rack teeth of the slide, a cross pin projecting from opposite sides of an upper part of the slide and into guide slots formed in the sidewalls of the shoe, said, slots being upwardly and outwardly angulated, and a contractile spring stretched between the slide and the inner end of slide and urging the pin on the shoe downwardly along the inner sides of the guide slots, whereby the teeth on the shoe are pressed into engagement with the teeth on the rack so that the movable jaw is prevented from moving away from the stationary jaw.

in and slidable against the. top of saidslideway including a narrow por- 6. An adjustable wrench comprising a fixed law having a channel slideway projecting laterally from its working face, a movable jawhaving a slide slidably confined in the channelrof the slideway whereby the movable jaw is nonrockably mounted on said slideway, said slidev having at least one, upwardly and outwardly angulated relatively long incline on its outer end and a similarly angulated relatively short incline adjacent its inner end, a rack on the bottom of the slideway, a shoe movable longitudinally and vertically in said channel and having teeth on its bottom for engaging the teeth of the rack,

means connecting said shoe to said slide for limited vertical and longitudinal movement relative to the slide, an upwardly projecting head on the outer end of the shoe, said head having on its inner side at least one relatively long incline of similar angularity to and slidably engaged with the long incline on the slide, a relatively short incline on the inner end of said shoe angulated" similarly to and slidably engaged with the short incline adjacent the inner end of the slide, and

longitudinally acting spring means operating between the slide and the shoe and normally urging the shoe in an inward and downward direction whereby the shoe teeth engage the rack teeth in a manner to prevent outward movement of the movable jaw relative to the fixed jaw.

LOUIS PARNET. I 

